'I cared for my dad as a teen - we need support'

A teenager who spent hours every day looking after his dad has called for more awareness and support for young carers, as he prepares to sit his GCSE exams.

Beckett, from Leicestershire, lost his dad Nick in February from a suspected progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare neurological condition which presents similar symptoms to Parkinson's.

The 16-year-old said support sessions for young carers at his school made a "world of difference", but The Children's Society has warned support is variable by area.

Beckett said: "It's just the difference knowing you're not the only one going through it."

He said more schools need to identify and support young carers.

"I think it's very important for schools to know [who are young carers] because it's where you spend arguably most of your time in early life."

Beckett's mum, Tracey, said her husband's illness began to manifest after the Covid pandemic, with him first seeing a doctor in 2022.

She said he began to lose weight, became more withdrawn, and became forgetful.

"He was prodded and poked in so many different ways, but unfortunately, every time Nick was investigated, the experts would find something else," Tracey said.

None of the treatments offered for conditions such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's made any difference, she added.

"As quick as he was going off to see the professionals, he was deteriorating, and we saw it wasn't just physical deterioration, it was the cognitive decline."

Nick, who worked as a paediatric cardiac anaesthetist, retired due to his health in 2022, at the age of 64.

This is when Beckett and his older sister stepped in to help look after him.

They helped Nick shave and shower, ensured he ate in the day, and stayed with him alongside Tracey if he woke up confused at night.

"Every time Nick got out of bed, they would be there," Tracey said.

"Sometimes it was six, seven, eight times a night, and I'd be mindful that I'd have to get up for work the next day, but I used to lay there and think these kids had to go to school.

"They've seen things that no teenagers should have to see."

Tracey said she felt immense pride in her children's help, but said it was "very difficult" because she always felt she "relied too much on the children".

"We were trying to keep it the way I know Nick would have wanted it, but at the same time, we were trying to keep all the wheels on the cart."

Throughout the final two years of Nick's life, Beckett had to prepare for his GCSEs.

"I never thought he was a burden. I just saw it as the new way of life," he said.

Beckett credited a support group at his school for helping him get through the worst days.

"Even if I wasn't having the best time at school, I knew there was a place for me to just get away from it all."

The support group Beckett attended was set up at Long Field Spencer Academy, in Melton Mowbray.

Nicola Evans, from the academy, started the group after 30 children were identified as young carers.

At the weekly sessions, pupils get food and drink, and the opportunity to speak to fellow young carers.

"Young carers have to do about 25 hours a week of caring on top of schoolwork and anything else they want to do, and that's not fair," Evans said.

"I don't want the kids to think that they're alone."

Lisa Witherden, from The Children's Society, said: "What we know is there are many, many schools that in their censuses are identifying zero young carers, and we know that can't be the case."

"There is a real gap for support in general for young carers," she added.

"Young carers have significantly lower educational attainment at GCSE level.

"Research also suggests that they miss on average 27 days of school per academic year.

"As a society, we should be doing more to ensure that they have the same life opportunities as their non-caring peers."

Leicestershire County Council said it was committed to "recognising and supporting the vital role young carers play within their family".

The authority said its support included needs assessments, access to a "Young Carers Passport" which raises awareness of a person's caring role, and a targeted group for young adult carers to support their transition to employment or further education.

A spokesperson said: "We also work proactively with education settings by delivering training opportunities for schools and colleges, as well as for Leicestershire County Council staff, and by providing resources to improve the identification and support of young carers."

A government spokesperson said it recognised that "unpaid caring responsibilities" could be "demanding for young people".

"We are committed to providing young carers the support they need."

"This includes providing a cash boost of over £4.6bn for social care and raising the Carer's Allowance earnings limit by more than £2,750 in two years to better support unpaid carers."

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